A Right-To-Information activist and journalist has been arrested by the anti-corruption bureau of the Thane police for extorting money from a builder.
Charushila Patil (37), who works with a local news channel, was arrested here last evening while accepting money from the Kalyan-based builder, said police spokesperson Sukhada Narkar.
Patil had filed complaints against the builder with the Kalyan-Dombivli Municipal Corporation, and had threatened to have his constructions demolished by the municipal body if he didn’t pay he Rs 50 lakh, police said.
On January 3, the builder paid her Rs 2 lakh, and then approached the Thane police, who laid a trap and arrested Patil yesterday when she was accepting another Rs five lakh from him, the police spokespeson said.
An offence of extortion under IPC section 384 has been registered against her at the Kolsewadi police station.